NASHVILLE, Tenn.-Goodyear named Southern Tire Sales of Pearl, Miss., its Next-Tred Retreader of the Year during the recent International Tire & Rubber Association's World ITRA Expo in Nashville.
Led by President Bernard Richards, Southern Tire Sales has three commercial service centers and two retread plants and operates 14 service trucks. Mr. Richards credited the hard work and dedication of his company's employees in winning the award as well as the relationship the dealership has forged with Goodyear.
``We want a supplier to work beside us and to be as dedicated to retreading as we are,'' he said. ``We find that with Goodyear and Next-Tred.''
Southern Tire Sales has been a Goodyear Authorized Retreader since 1988 and a Goodyear Truckwise dealership for four years. It offers new tires, retreads, emergency road service and wheel/rim service.
The dealership was selected for the honor based on seven categories covering the retread manufacturing process and product quality, said Armond Boyes, Next-Tred general manager, who presented the award on the trade show floor. On a scale of one to 100, Southern Tire scored 99.2 points, Mr. Boyes said.
Southern Tire Sales uses all three Goodyear retreading processes: Goodyear precure, Ultima precure and Unicircle, at its two plants in Pearl and Laurel, Miss., he said. Next-Tred is the name Goodyear uses for all of its retreading operations.
Mr. Boyes said Southern Tire Sales has served on the Goodyear Commercial Systems Advisory board and has shown its commitment to the tire maker's authorized retread program in its daily operations and in its reputation of providing quality products and service.
``Southern Tire Sales and Goodyear have developed a model business relationship over the years,'' Mr. Boyes said. ``Its growth is the result of hard work, open communication and the willingness to take risks.''